Five gram panchayats in Telangana reported zero nominations for the first phase of sarpanch elections. Mancherial district recorded three such villages, while Nirmal and Asifabad districts saw one each. Officials also identified 133 wards without a single nomination. Mancherial had the highest number, followed by Asifabad, Jangaon, Vikarabad, and Gadwal. Many leaders linked this situation to unresolved reservation issues.
Villagers expressed anger after the sarpanch post was reserved for a community with fewer than ten members. Due to this, other groups refused to file nominations. In some areas, no candidate came forward because of local conflicts. In a few villages, people protested over pending development issues and skipped the nomination process. The first phase covered 4,236 villages, and nominations were filed in 4,231 of them, totalling 22,330 applications.
Election officials notified 37,440 wards, yet 133 wards still reported no nominations. Meanwhile, 85,428 candidates entered the ward member race. The withdrawal deadline remains open until December 3, and the final list will be released the same day. Officials expect more clarity after the withdrawals.
In the second phase, heavy nomination activity was seen on Monday. Candidates arrived early at centres, and supporters filled the queues. Villages witnessed busy scenes as aspirants submitted their papers with large groups backing them.
